Gabby Thomas names one unique thing which led to success of Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian's Athlos NYC 2024

American sprinter and five-time Olympic medalist, Gabby Thomas, shed light on the reasons behind the immense success of the Athlos NYC 2024 meet. This comes a month after the conclusion of Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian-founded track meet.

Thomas was the first athlete who had signed a deal to participate in Ohanian's meet that featured more than just track races. The event saw approximately 3 million viewers over different streaming providers. Following this success, Thomas decoded the reasons that made Athlos so successful.

In a recent interview with Front Office Sports, Thomas stated that the Athlos event focused on the entertaining side of track and field. The reigning 200m Olympic champion also said that the meet made them feel welcomed. She said (at 21:27):

"The one thing that really set it (Athlys NYC 2024) apart was what an amazing job the event was just as a production I mean it was such a fun and entertaining event and that's what sports is for, it's for entertainment and I think sometimes in track and field we can lose sight of that... Athlos really gave us the ability to tell our stories."

Thomas added (at 22:03):

"I think what stood out most to me about Athlos was it felt like it was for us... That one we really felt like they wanted us there and we were valued as the main product."

Gabby Thomas lost the 200m race to her countrymate, Brittany Brown at the Athlos meet. Despite this, she took home a lucrative prize money of $25,000, which was $15,000 more than the amount she received for winning the 200m at the London Diamond League 2024.

---

Gabby Thomas comments on her aspiration of competing in a home Olympics in 2028

Thomas after winning the 200m gold medal on the 11th day of the Paris Olympics (Image via: Getty)

Gabby Thomas opened up about her excitement about competing in her home (Los Angeles) at the 2028 Olympics.

In an interview with Olympics.com, Thomas said she wants to compete on her "home soil" at the next quadrennial event. She also said that despite her success in the French capital in 2024, she will have a different feeling when competing in front of her home crowd. She said:

"It is incredible that the next Olympic Games will be on home soil. I can't wait to represent our country on home soil. I've had a lot of fun here in Paris, but competing for my country in Los Angeles will feel incredible."

2028 will be the first time after 1996 Atlanta that a US city will host the quadrennial event. Gabby Thomas will look to make the most of it and will look to defend her 200m title successfully.